In the wintertime, most of the peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes sold in the Western US are grown in Mexico. Thanks to Windset Farms in Santa Maria, we can offer those items in our Talley Farms Boxes year-round!
Last week, Lisa, Michelle, Tony, and I toured Windset Farms, a 168-acre glass greenhouse facility, the largest single site greenhouse facility in North America! And what an operation! They grow year-round, 8-10 sizes of tomatoes, and four kinds of cucumbers and peppers each. All of their products are non-GMO.
To pollinate their plants, Windset uses its own small Bubblebees, which are more docile and less intelligent than honeybees, which in the past have found ways to escape the greenhouses. They use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control pests. Windset employs 600 – 1,000 greenhouse workers, depending on the season, all of whom are local. Their employees are well-trained and have a very low turnover rate.
Windset Farms is a Canadian company with another large greenhouse located in British Columbia. While they may be a Canadian company, rest assured that the produce in that bag in your Talley Box, was grown in California. And enjoy local tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers even in the wintertime!
